Saint Ursula of the Many Arms, 2023
Antique wooden santo figure with costume crafted from fabric, beads, foam insulation, wire, sequins, thermoplastic, and synthetic wig.
I was given an antique Mexican santo doll by my mother. These dolls were designed to be dressed and posed, with jointed arms and below the torso is a frame for the skirt. I was inspired to create my own regalia for this doll and chose to make her a cephalopod because of the eight spokes for the dress frame. It was important to make the costume removable and non-damaging to the original wooden doll, but I also wanted to completely transform the surface, so I created a mask and gloves to completely obscure the wooden surface of the doll itself.